A/N: A bit of a shorter one for me, but I'm in the middle of moving, so time is short. I don't know when my internet will be up and running again once we move on sunday - so it may be a while before my next update. But fear not - I'll be writing while it's down, so updates should be fast and furious once I get it back up and running. I really, truely appreciated all the reviews from the last chapter - you guys totally let me know that you're behind this story as much as I am - so thank you very much for taking the time to let me know. Oh and the lyrics mentioned in this chapter are property of Fall Out Boy and no infringement is intended.

Disclaimer: see first chapter

Days slid by, tickling past one after another as she did what she did best – run her hospital. House continued with his uncharacteristic behavior – toward her at any rate - she still had as many complaints from nurses and patients as ever. He brought her coffee in the mornings, and he had been on time almost four days in a row now. She didn't know if she should be frightened or thankful. Instead she just sipped the coffee, praying it wasn't laced with anything and got on with her day.

On Tuesday she found approval for four fellows on her desk and she frowned at the paperwork. He had stuck a pink Post It on top and she smirked at the violently cheerful magenta note that informed her he couldn't pick just three. She decided it was time for her to finally go upstairs.

She could hear music when she stepped off the elevator. Glass walls and doors weren't the best form of soundproofing in the world. She couldn't hear the words, but she could tell it was a rock song and when she approached the door, she could see him sitting at his desk, playing along with the song and bouncing slightly in his chair. The sight brought a reluctant smile to her face, despite the fact that she was about to walk in and yell at him to turn it down. When she opened the door, he looked up but made no move to turn the song down. He just waved her in, and kept on playing. The lyrics were something about a loaded God complex and she wanted to laugh at how ridiculously appropriate they were for him.

"Some people work here House." She pitched her voice to carry over the song - we're going down, down in an earlier round, but sugar we're going down swinging – and she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to look stern. Is this more than you bargained for yet?

"Well, sure, but no one on this floor." He responded, turning the volume down slightly under her glare. Isn't it messed up, how I'm just dying to be him?

"Oh sure, Wilson is just over there raising puppies and kittens and handing out rainbow medicine." She spoke in a testy voice and suppressed a laugh when he nodded sagely.

"Seriously – have you tried the joints he rolls?" We're always sleeping in and sleeping for the wrong team.

"Oh my God House!" She dropped the applications on his desk and reached over, turning off the song that she had a suspicion she would be trying to download later. "I can't approve four fellows, you know this. You're budgeted for three."

"I can't get rid of one – take the money from my lawyer fund." He pushed the papers back over at her and she sighed heavily.

"And when you need a lawyer?"

"Maybe I won't this year." He smiled innocently and she snorted loudly.

"As if. So, which doctor will be working for the lowly amount of fifty grand a year?" She was raising her pen as she spoke, knowing that she would let him win – after all, more doctor's trained under him meant more good doctor's. If she could only get him to do a teaching round or two... she laughed at the thought of House leading a bunch of medical students. Maybe not such a good idea.

"Oh come on Cuddy – I thought you knew it would be me. No rent, my pain meds are covered by your sorry hospital – what do I really need money for?" He shrugged and watched as she signed the forms.

"Hookers?" She smiled across at him as she slid the approved paperwork back to him. "Love the pink, by the way." He frowned uncomfortably and looked down.

"Cameron ordered office supplies. I suppose I should feel lucky that they aren't heart shaped with Mrs. Gregory House printed across them." He snapped at her quickly and she grinned wider.

"Yeah too bad Wilson bought those all up." She stood slowly, smoothing her skirt out as she did and feeling a sense of triumph when the action drew his eyes to her legs. She frowned, feeling a bit bad – she was technically a tease.

"Ha ha." His voice was dry and his gaze was appreciative. "Am I still allowed to hit on you?"

"Has anything I've ever said ever stopped you?" The question was rhetorical and they both knew it. She wasn't surprised when he didn't respond to her question. "I want a final interview with all four – before they sign employment contracts House – I have final veto."

"Don't you always?" He stood, his hands pressed against his desk as he reached for his cane. He came around the desk and took the paperwork with him. She scoffed at his question – she would like to think she had final say but the truth was he generally steamrolled over her anyway. She chose not to respond and he sidled closer as she studied the chaos of his desk. When she looked up, she was startled to him right next to her, looking at her nervously.

"I need to go-"

"Have dinner with me. Again." His voice was low and she paused, her heart lodged so high in her chest it hurt. She wanted to say yes. She should say no. She should just run and pretend she hadn't heard him, although that would be a little hard to do now that she had stood there for a minute and a half, staring at him. "I'll even buy this time – no cooking for you- and we could-"

"Why?" Her question was quiet, yet heavy in the minimal space between them. She felt like she was overheating – and it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Being around House had clearly become more dangerous.

"To prove that you don't need to be scared. To get my friend back. So I can tap that – take your pick." He spoke as if none of it mattered at all, but his eyes were tracking the movements of her lips and eyes and she knew that he was serious.

"You wish." She spoke the retort automatically, her hand pushing through her hair nervously as she sought for something else to say. Anything. Reason and want were at war inside her and finally she sighed heavily. "House..."

"Not yet?" He nodded, his face utterly calm, as if he had been prepared for this. "Alright, maybe next time." If his voice had a note of forced cheer, she pretended not to notice as she walked down the corridor toward the elevators. It was safer this way. Had to be safe. The doors closed quickly with a soft whoosh, validating her choice.

The coffee was too hot and weak. She frowned at it as she sipped, needing the caffeine despite it's quality. Her lap top hummed softly in the silence of her house and she stared at the screen blankly as she read over some files from work. She rubbed a hand along her face, wondering when exactly her life had become work 24/7. She had given final approval to House's new fellows this morning, after interviewing them all. She was fairly certain half of them wouldn't be able to make it – but they at least deserved the chance. House had been predictably annoying during the interviews, as he made comments about her 'discipline' methods and fraternization policies. She was fairly sure every single one of his fellows thought they were sleeping together, but he had laid it on particularly thick when the Cardiologist – a divorced father in his mid-forties – had come in for his interview.

It would almost have been amusing if she didn't know for a fact that House wasn't just being this way to irritate the hell out of her. She took another sip, cringing as the liquid burned her throat, but delivered a much needed jolt. Her phone shrilled from somewhere behind her and she rose tiredly, searching through her purse for the incessantly ringing thing. When she found it, she frowned slightly at the call display before flipping it open. "Dr. Cuddy."

"Cuddy! Thank god, I thought you weren't going to answer." Wilson's voice came across the line, slightly panicked and echoing oddly.

"What's the matter Dr. Wilson?" She spoke calmly, looking down at her mug with a frown. Maybe she should go out for coffee – this crap clearly wasn't working.

"What's always the matter! House- I swear to God I just had him here. But now he's gone and I have a bad bad scary idea about where he's going and I wanted to warn you-" His words tripped over each other and slurred gently despite his clear panic.

"Are you drunk?"

"Did I not just say I was with House?" He spoke swiftly, each word blurring into the next and she frowned trying to figure out what in the hell he said. "Yes we were drinking – we were at this bar – and he was going on about.. something.. I can't quite remember, but it was really funny – I was laughing my ass of. Maybe a college story? It was about you anyway and he just stopped laughing suddenly. It was strange." He stopped suddenly, and the silence stretched out until she cleared her throat.

"And? You called me to tell me House stopped laughing? That's not unusual Wilson. He barely smiles-"

"Not around me." Wilson spoke proudly and she resisted pointing out that he smiled around Wilson because Wilson almost constantly enabled and cow towed to House. "And I called because I think he's missing. Or in the bathroom. Or missing. Maybe he went to see you. He likes your hair. You have pretty hair – and the nice rack doesn't hurt anything either. Do you know how much he talks about your ass? It would almost be disturbing if I didn't think that it was his ten year old way of liking you. He likes you. Did you know that?" Wilson's voice was increasingly erratic and unclear, but she got the gist of the conversation. She sighed softly, wondering why on earth she had these two men for friends, when she probably could have had a nice set of girlfriends to go get manicures with and bitch about boys. She liked to conveniently forget that girls never really liked her – in school or even later – she supposed she was too aggressive.

"Go home Wilson. Go to bed. For God's sake get a god damn cab. Drink at least four glasses of water, take two advil and drag your sorry ass into work tomorrow. House is a big boy – he can take care of himself." She spoke in a tired voice and she could hear Wilson's heavy breathing as he listened to her.

"Right. Go home. You'll take care of House. Got it." He hung up abruptly before she could protest and she shook her head. Sighing, she shut down her computer and picked up her half full mug, walking into the kitchen. Once there, she poured out the coffee from her mug and the pot and set about making a new batch. A stronger batch. Lord knew she'd need it when House finally showed up.